MY EX = MY BOSS

Part 3

Forcefully awakening from my slumber, the bright morning sun greeted my blurry vision. As I switched on the fan, I noticed my body had become stiff and overheated during the night. My temple was damp with sweat, evidence of the intense nightmare that had plagued me for three years. I could still vividly recall the events of that fateful night, as if it had happened only yesterday. My eyes were swollen, and my fingers and legs felt numb. It was an unbearable experience that often forced me to abruptly wake my body from the grips of anxiety.

Taking in my surroundings, I realized with relief that it had all been a dream. I breathed a sigh of relief, but the lingering effects of the nightmare remained. It had haunted me for far too long. I could still remember every detail, even though it had been three years. Shaking my head vigorously, I tried to banish the memories from my mind.

Suddenly, my alarm clock rang loudly, jolting me out of my thoughts. I was shocked to see the time—it was already 11:14 am. Panic washed over me as I realized I was likely to be late for work. I hurriedly made my way to the bathroom to begin my daily routine.

Returning to my bedroom, I opened my cupboard only to have a mountain of clothes tumble out, causing me to fall to the floor. "Not this time!" I muttered, determined not to let this setback ruin my day. I gathered the clothes and forced them back into the cupboard, trying to maintain some semblance of order.

Dressed in a floral top and skinny jeans, I realized I didn't have time to search for a different outfit. I rushed to the kitchen, hoping to grab some quick breakfast items like bread, jam, butter, or at least a chocolate bar or some nuts to sustain me until lunch break.

However, as I opened the refrigerator, my heart sank. It was almost empty, with only water bottles and a few bottles of tomato sauce. "Oh God! I forgot to buy groceries this month!" I cursed, frustrated with myself for neglecting such a basic task. These days, I had been living like a recluse, only sleeping when I was at home, and I had completely forgotten about restocking my kitchen.

With a sigh, I headed towards the basement of my building, contemplating eating from the fast food truck near my office. I checked my wallet, only to find a meager amount of money. It seemed I was broke, unable to afford anything more than street food. "How broke am I that I can't even buy proper meals for myself?" I grumbled, realizing that over half of my salary went towards paying off the EMIs for my apartment. Although it was a struggle, at least I had a place to call home, where no one could kick me out. "You have to endure it," I reminded myself, patting my growling stomach.

As I stepped outside, ready to hail a cab, my phone rang. "Not now, I'm already late. If it's the credit card company, they're in for an earful," I muttered angrily, reaching into my bag to retrieve my phone. To my surprise, a smiling face greeted me on the screen.

"Hello, James," I greeted, my anger subsiding as I heard the melodic voice on the other end.

"Hello, Alex! What are you up to? Up from your beauty sleep?" His voice was so soothing, as if he could lull me back into slumber. It was as though he spoke to me like a caring parent addressing their child.

"Huh? What do you mean, what am I doing?" I snapped back, snapping out of my daze. "Isn't it time

"What do you mean today is Sunday? Oh, Alex! Don't tell me you forgot?" James exclaimed on the other end of the phone.

My heart sank as I realized my mistake. How could I forget? I mentally cursed myself, smacking my head with my bag. It was Sunday, the weekend. I had been rushing around for no reason.

"Oh, thank you, James. If you hadn't reminded me, I could have ended up standing in front of the closed office gate," I said, my cheeks flushing red with embarrassment.

James laughed on the phone, finding amusement in my forgetfulness. It was probably a joke for someone as organized and punctual as him. I tried to hide my embarrassment with a lower tone.

"It's okay. It happens sometimes," he reassured me, his laughter subsiding. However, I could still sense the smile in his voice, as if he found my mishap endearing.

"It can only happen to me and no one else," I muttered, feeling a bit better knowing I wasn't alone in my absentmindedness.

"No, it's happened to me too, many times. When I was in school, I would often get confused about the days," he quickly responded, trying to make me feel less embarrassed by sharing his own experiences.

"By the way, I called to ask if you're free today. Let's catch up for lunch," James proposed, his voice carrying a hint of hope. James was my senior and worked as the sales manager. He was quite popular among female employees, but he never showed any interest in them.

Despite numerous attempts at flirting, his eyes never wavered from their professional focus. However, I could sense his attraction towards me from the beginning of my time at Crystal. He approached me on my first day in a way he never did with any other women in the office, and we became good friends since then.

Yes, good friends. He had tried to ask me out several times, but I had always ignored the question. I wasn't ready for another relationship after the last one, where I had invested my love and efforts only to see it crumble.

And now, my priority was to focus on my career.

I hesitated for a moment, contemplating how to respond to James's lunch invitation. I didn't have enough money with me, and I didn't want to end up in an awkward situation where I couldn't split the bill. It would be better to decline.

"Hmm, James, today... I'm actually... It's..." I mumbled, searching for a reason to postpone our lunch date.

"Alex! I have good news, and I wanted to celebrate it with you. Let's have a small meat party. It's my treat today," he interrupted, his voice filled with excitement.

My stomach growled at the mention of meat. Well, it would be fine to accept his treat if it's a celebration lunch. After all, didn't we treat others when we had great news to share? Besides, I couldn't afford to say no when I was really hungry.

"Okay, let's meet for lunch," I replied, trying to hide my excitement behind a mild tone.

"So, let's meet at a place near you. How about the Dinning Hall Restaurant? It's close to your place," he suggested.

"That place is quite expensive, and it takes a month to book a reservation there," I thought of suggesting other, more affordable places in my mind.

"No problem! I've already made the reservations," he responded, as if he had everything planned in advance.

Something felt fishy, but my hunger was overpowering my thoughts. I didn't want to waste my remaining energy on overthinking. I decided to go with it and face whatever might happen.

"Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes. You go ahead and have a seat, and order something. I'll join you shortly," I said, trying to match his happy tone.

"Sure," he replied, and we hung up the call. As I made my way to the restaurant, a part of me couldn't shake the feeling that something significant was about to happen. However, my rumbling stomach urged me to focus on the present and enjoy the prospect of a free meal. I didn't want to miss out on that.

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